Old Bear Creek Texas Ranger Camp
Junction, Kimble County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established October 1877 as patrol base for Co. E, Frontier Battalion, Texas Rangers, on the lookout for Indians and outlaws along the Llano River. Area was popular refuge for cattle and horse thieves, murderers, mail robbers-- and within a few weeks many were captured by the unit of 30 men commanded by Lt. N. O. Reynolds. The Rangers in 1878 helped fight off one of the last Indian raids in the area. Ranger protection given from this camp (used until mid-1880s) opened the way for peaceful settlement in Kimble and nearby counties.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Established in October 1877, the Old Bear Creek camp served as a patrol base for Company E of the Texas Rangers' Frontier Battalion, watching the Llano River country for Indians and outlaws. The region was a haven for cattle and horse thieves, but within weeks Lieutenant N. O. Reynolds and his thirty men had captured many; in 1878 they helped repel one of the area's last Indian raids. Their presence, maintained into the mid-1880s, opened Kimble and nearby counties to peaceful settlement.
Why it matters
The camp marks the closing chapter of frontier law enforcement in Texas, when the Rangers' campaigns against raiders and outlaws cleared the way for permanent settlement of the Hill Country.
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Related people
- · N. O. Reynolds
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Kimble County
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